Fabrica x Sussex Contemporary. Unfold.
Following the success of Resonance in 2026, Fabrica and Sussex Contemporary are delighted to announce Unfold - our second UK-wide judged open call.
We’re inviting artists at any stage of their career, working in any medium, to submit work responding to the theme Unfold. Selected artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their work at Fabrica in Brighton in April 2027, bringing ambitious contemporary practice to new audiences.
About the theme
To unfold is to reveal, develop or become. It suggests the gradual opening of something previously hidden: an idea taking shape, a story coming into focus, a landscape changing, a relationship evolving or a creative practice growing over time.
Unfold can be personal or collective, deliberate or unexpected, quiet or profound.
We’re interested in work that explores process as much as outcome, and in the ways people, places, materials and experiences shift, connect and transform.
Your response might consider moments of change, resilience and renewal; acts of discovery or becoming; or the ways identities, memories and futures continue to unfold. You might approach the theme through the natural world, social or political change, or the unfolding qualities of time, movement and narrative.
These are just starting points. Unfold is intended as an invitation, not a constraint. We’re looking for thoughtful, imaginative and unexpected responses to the theme, across all forms of contemporary practice.
About the opportunity
This open call is a chance to bring your work into conversation with other artists and with audiences at Fabrica - an arts organisation in the heart of Brighton with a long history of presenting contemporary art, film and participatory projects.
We’re particularly interested in the stories behind the work: the research, experimentation, reflection, learning and connections that shape an artist’s practice.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN: 28 August 2026
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: 21 February 2027
EXHIBITION SELECTION ANNOUNCED: w/c 8 March 2027
EXHIBITION OPEN: 16 April - 9 May 2027
If you would like to know more, or have a specific question about this open call, please contact [email protected]
